[Drama 2013] Nine: Nine Times Time Travel 나인: 아홉 번의 시간여행

[lindy01]

This is indeed a BRILLIANT, well directed time travelling drama. Amazing scripts and well casted casts. I'd finished this 20episodes drama in 2 days!

LJW & JYH are new to me but I love their great chemistry here and the KISSES are

:x :x .

Even though US going to remake this drama, I'll still think KOREAN dramas are 100% better and original to view.

This drama is 10/10!

 

[Guest sandramoon]

class="title_sec" style="line-height:34px;" align="center"Cable TV programs emerge as mainstream player in showbiz

Culture Minister Yoo Jin-ryong (fourth from left), poses with winners of the Korea Content Awards 2013 including TV writer Lee Woo-jung (second from right) at Coex in southern Seoul on Friday.  (Korea Creative Content Agency)

Cable and general programming TV programs have been widely regarded as less in quality, but the recent success of several shows has brought change and dynamicity to a field that has long been ruled by terrestrial TV content. Armed with “daring” humor and nature, these minor players are emerging as trend setters, and the next possible hallyu engine.

On Friday, Lee Woo-jung and Song Jae-jeong, writers for smash-hit TV shows “Reply 1994” and “Nine” respectively, won at the Korea Content Awards 2013. Lee, who has created three consecutive hits ― “Grandpas over Flowers,” “Reply 1994” and “Sisters over Flowers” ― this year, was named the presidential award winner and Song received the Culture Minister award for creating the time-traveling TV drama.

The news came as a shock to the industry since the programs were aired on tvN, one of the cable TV channels under CJ. This is the first time a cable TV program crew won.

“Lee’s ‘Grandpas over Flowers’ depicts the story of four elderly backpackers with humor and warmth,” the Korea Creative Content Agency, the host of the award, said.

“I think it is a monumental moment in Korea’s cable TV history that such programs have been acknowledged for superiority in quality,” said Kim Dong-hyun, a spokesman at the Korea Cable Television and Telecommunications Association. “It shows that the media platform cannot be an obstacle anymore in introducing high-quality content,” he said.

It’s not only the quality that has been acknowledged. It was the viewers who first spotted something special in cable TV programs. “Grandpas over Flowers” marked an average of 5 percent viewer ratings earlier this year, while “Reply 1994” is about 0.3 percent shy of reaching 10 percent, which is higher than some of its terrestrial TV rival shows.

“Many terrestrial TV programs have been repeating their signature success codes such as ‘love between the poor and the super rich’ or dig into ‘family secrets’ usually involving childbirth out of wedlock and extramarital affairs. But these newly praised programs have been focusing on familiar subjects, ordinary lives that draw people to see themselves in the characters,” Chung Deok-hyun, a TV critic, said in an interview.

And these TV stations, which can avoid tough regulations adjusted to terrestrial TV networks, dare to touch on sensitive issues or taboos. “Sseoljeon” by general programming TV station, jTBC, picks on, twists and satirizes political power, business leaders and showbiz insiders in a blunt way that could easily induce a warning from the authorities if it was aired on MBC, KBS or SBS.

The tvN comedy show, “Saturday Night Live Korea” has touched on politics and sex, the two main taboos in the Korean entertainment scene, and established a solid fandom here craving something new. From sexual noises to implication, insinuation and actions, the actors and actresses tickle the tolerance level of Korean TV viewers.

“Major terrestrial TV networks have failed to catch up with the volatile trend of the Korean masses. Cable and general programming networks have targeted specific viewers and tried out new things with little hesitation that has obviously resulted in success,” said critic Kim Kyo-seok.

This new breed of TV programs has become the next hallyu, or Korean pop culture wave, item. “Reply 1997,” the predecessor of “Reply 1994” that aired last year, was sold to 19 countries and “1994” is expected to follow suit. The format for “Nine” was bought by Fake Empire Entertainment in the U.S. earlier this year and the remake is expected to air through major American TV network, ABC.

“tvN is marking its seven-year anniversary and we have been investing in creating an indigenous environment to cultivate a new system and culture. We won’t stop that,” said Lee Deok-jae, a tvN official.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)

[Guest sandramoon]

class="title" style="font-size: 26px; font-family: NanumGothicWeb; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0 0 20px 0; color: #F60;" align="center"The Top Ten Male Kdrama Characters of 2013

The best characters are not always the ones viewers like or want to see win. They can be heroes or villains or somewhere in between What makes the best characters stand out is how complex they are. Check out this list of this year’s memorable male kdrama characters and why we liked them:

He was bad but not really Choi Young Do, played by Kim Woo Bin in “The Heirs” started the drama as a bully but viewers quickly got to see his vulnerable side And once his affection for Cha Eun Sang cracked his hard exterior, he could no longer pretend to be tough

He was bad but he did so to protect the woman he loved. Harry Borrison was a very appealing attractive villain in “Missing You” but he had a traumatic past that bound him with Yoon Eun Hye’s character Zoe Lou. While protecting her was a priority his desire for revenge undid him.

He does not like people to touch him but he needs it Joo Joong Won in “The Master’s Sun prefers if people do not touch him or his money. But it’s Gong Hyo Jin’s touch that he needs to dispel his own ghosts

He waited for 15 years. Han Jung Woo never stopped loving Zoe Lou in “Missing You” but that doesn’t mean he was a saint He abandoned her when she needed him most.

He’s a con man that sees the light Jo In Sung’s character Oh Soo in “That Winter The Wind Blows” needs money and doesn’t care whom he has to hurt to get it. But the surprise is that love totally disarms him

He’s an immature emperor who commands the woman he loves. Emperor Huizong in “Empress Ki” is a big baby He would be a very annoying character if he were not so endearingly obsessed with Ha Ji Won’s character. Ji Chang Wook manages to make him puppyish and likeable

He will survive no matter what. Both the police and thugs pursue Tae San in the heart-stopping thriller “Two Weeks” Lee Jun Ki’s character starts out with little to live for but once he knows he has a child, he knows he must live It’s a bumpy and very believable ride.

He’s a man who becomes evil one small action at a time As the ambitious prosecutor An Do Hoon in “Secrets,” Bae Soo Bin starts out with ideals but trades them for money and power His villainy is very subtle and totally believable.

He defies time for those he loves In “Nine”, Park Sun Woo is an announcer who travels back in time to save his brother and then his lovLee Jin Wook created a character that wants very much to make things right, no matter how much he has to sacrifice.

He hears voices and it’s not a good thing. Park Soo Ha has a unique gift that has in many ways cursed his life Fortunately, the “I Hear Your Voice” character also has a compass to guide him his love and gratitude for the girl who stepped forward to help him.

If you missed any of these great dramas you may want to catch up.

Cr: Kdramastars

[Guest sandramoon]

[2013 Drama Wrap-up] Top 10 Kissing Scenes

(SportsSeoul)

December 23, 2013

1. Lee Seung Gi - Suzy (MBC Gu Family Book - June 3 episode)
2. Ha Seok Jin - Son Ye Jin (KBS Shark - June 3 episode)
3. Jang Hyun Sung - Clara (SBS Goddess of Marriage - June 30 episode)
4. Lee Jin Wook - Jo Yoon Hee (tvN Nine - March 18 episode)
5. Lee Jong Suk - Lee Bo Young (SBS I Hear Your Voice - August 1 episode)
6. Lee Min Ho - Park Shin Hye (SBS Heirs - November 28 episode)
7. Jung Woo - Go Ara (tvN Reply 1994 - October 19 episode)
8. Yeo Jin Goo - Ha Yeon Soo (tvN Potato Star 2013QR3 - October 15 episode)
9. Jo In Sung - Song Hye Kyo (SBS That Winter The Wind Blows - April 3 episode)
10. Yoo Ah In - Kim Tae Hee (SBS Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love - May 20 episode)
    

Source: SportsSeoul

[czakhareina]

[HanCinema's Year in Review] 

Raine's Top Six Picks of 2013

It is the end of another year in K-dramaland and time to look back and count how many hours I spent watching dramas, running my drama blog, and working on drama-related projects. Since I watched twenty-eight 2013 dramas, recapped three and reviewed nine, and delved into past dramas, that would give me a total of...
...let's just not say how much time I invested in drama. Instead, let's talk about which of those twenty-eight dramas stuck in my head and why they did.
I chose these dramas because they stuck with me long after I watched them. They were full of heart, well-acted, well-produced and had me complete invested for the duration of the drama. I would watch (and have watched) them again and again. All of my chosen dramas have what I call "the feeling". What I mean by that is that I can escape into the world of the drama, feel what the characters feel, be where the director intends for me to be and really be in the moment with the characters. This does not mean a drama is without flaws, but that the quality of the show supersedes them.
"Nine: Time Travelling Nine Times"
Aired on tvN, written by Song Jae-jeong and Kim Yoon-joo, directed by Kim Byeong-soo


This drama is epic and is especially skilled at forcing me to glue my eyeballs to the screen for twenty hours. The characters are loveable five minutes into the show. By fifteen minutes into the show, I was crying along with Jung Sun-woo (Lee Jin-wook) and invested in his plight and the plights of everyone around him. Save for the fish-faced ahjussi (Choi Jin-cheol played by Jeong Dong-hwan), I was there with everyone as they dealth with the repercussions of time travel.
Speaking of time travel, I adored how the rules behind it were concrete and how those rules were slowly revealed through character discovery. I was mentally and emotionally engaged in this show, trying to keep up with Sun-woo and Jin-cheol. The show wasn't afraid to give us a really pathetic character (Jeon No-min as Park Jung-woo) and keep him weak and in need of his younger brother's aid. What I especially appreciated about his character was how understandable and pitiable he was, even in an annoying state of perpetual weakness of mind.
While this show was billed as a romance, I didn't feel like this was a "romantic" drama. The romance was just an integral part of Park Sun-woo's life and therefore it was a central part of my watching exprience. It was one of the many parts of his life that I was invested in.
Just for the record, I thought the ending rocked. So did Hyung Sik as Young Sun-woo. I was actually blown away by how he kept up with the experienced adult cast. Bravo idol actor!
I could rave about this drama for days, so I will say only one more thing: this drama is goreous. The lighting, camera filters, camera work, everything.
To read the rest of the picks go http://www.hancinema.net/hancinema-s-year-in-review-raine-s-top-six-picks-of-2013-64577.html

[lotus]

Beautiful review czakhareina! U said so well! I hv not found another drama that supercedes this one. I hv watched it like 6 times n each time like u say to rediscover n appreciate the lighting, editing, music, script, filming, angle n if course the acting n my fave oppa. It must go down in kdrama as a classic n milestone. Love this drama so much!!!

[lotus]

Yes! It is EPIC!!!!

[Guest sandramoon]

Today is March 11. On this day one year ago, the pilot episode of NINE aired. This is the start of my miracle journey with NINE (though honestly, I started watching NINE after the ep 4 airing one day on March 20 ^^).


Happy one year anniversary!!!!

[Guest sandramoon]

♥´¯`•.¸¸.☆º Happy one year anniversary of NINE º ☆.¸¸.•´¯`♥
11/03/2013 - 11/03/2014

LJW DC, Instagram

[Guest ohayyo]

ooowh, time does fly ...so, it's been a year *sigh*thank you @sandramoonhow is it going on with nabi couple ?

[achil]

guess I am very very late. Oh my God, I wish I have time travel tool so I could go back to last year, watch this drama when it's airing, and sharing some insight each episode with everyone in this thread.
Park Sunwoo is awesome. He is so kind, really, it is always heartbreaking when he is sad. I always remember the scene when Minyoung turns out to be Shi Ah. And when Sunwoo knew the truth behind his father death. And the phonebooth scene. I cry (And Dr. Han! Wah, I really like his character, such a very good friend. He is always hillarious and always available whenever sunwoo has a hard time.
in the phonebooth scene, then sunwoo start left msg in his phone to Dr. Han ( and then finally Dr. Han listen to the msg and he cry, huaaaa make me more sad.Thank you Han younghoon for being a very good friend to sunwoo

And because of this drama, I become a fan of Lee Jinwook. He is so handsome, aaaaaaaa, and his twitching ears is so cute. hahahahahaI think Lee Jinwook and Jo Yoonhe make a good couple. I don't mind if they're dating in real life. hehhehhe
oh, and I tried to read recaps and reviews from drama blogger, there are some controversial about the ending, right? haha.For me, I believe in happy ending for all

[Guest ohayyo]

^Yes,i am with you too ... i would prefer to say that it is a happy ending yaiyyy !

[achil]

I start watching this drama after dramabeans made year end reviews, and they wrote NINE is one of the best drama for 2013. I love that site, so I was curious, what kind of drama is this.But I think this drama is underrated among international fan, back then I didn't have friends who watch this series.Then I decided to watch it, aaaaaaand it was awesome. Well better late than never, I am feeling grateful that I decided to watch this series. And I have a habit, when I love a show or a drama I will spread it among my college friends so they'll be watching it.And I did it for NINE, this drama deserve more recognition.I forced my friends to watch it, I said to them : I'll give you the first 4 episode, try to watch it first, and give your opinion.Aaaaand haha, a lot of my friends decided to watch it until the last episode. They love it as well.Of course among us there was also some argument and controvertial about the ending. Some said it is sad ending for the old version of sunwoo. And others (including me) said it is happy ending for sunwoo, because there won't be two universe, what sunwoo 2013 did will affect sunwoo 1992, and vice versa. Then if Sunwoo 1992 grow up, live healthy and happy, So? I believe in happy ending

[Guest sandramoon]

NINE DVD to be released in Japan on May 2nd.

韓ドラDX ‏@kandoraDX

タイムスリップ・ラブストーリーの最高傑作「ナイン 〜9回の時間旅行〜」DVD-BOX1の見本が到着しましたぁ(((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))イ・ジヌクさんカッコイイーーー！ pic.twitter.com/GWEmCsBBUF

Translated from Japanese by Bing Translator

Masterpieces of time travel love story ' nine-9 hour trip-"DVD-BOX1 trade fair has arrived! (((o(* °▽° *)o))) a defector's カッコイイーーー! pic.twitter.com/GWEmCsBBUF

Cr: 韓ドラDX ‏@kandoraDX

[Guest sandramoon]

NINE on TSUTAYA's May issue

韓ドラDX ‏@kandoraDX

月刊TSUTAYAアジアマガジン5月号に「ナイン〜9回の時間旅行〜」が紹介されていますー！必ず観直したくなる超話題作！DVDは5月2日リリース開始です☆要チェック*\(^o^)/*NaMu pic.twitter.com/lt9yjUUAg2

Translated from Japanese by Bing Translator

TSUTAYA may issue to monthly Asia magazine ' nine-9 hour trip-"being introduced now Skylar! Super blockbuster heal will want to watch! DVD is released 5/2 ☆ check *\(^o^)/* NaMu pic.twitter.com/lt9yjUUAg2

Cr: 韓ドラDX ‏@kandoraDX

[mikeymeeks]

I watched Nine recently, from 1-20, and I said: What? My brain was all prepared for the 49 Days-like stunt when SW died and other confusing elements about time travelling, until the credits...where I went bonkers and lost it all. I have a feeling the last scene of the drama is connected to the first scene of the drama. Anyone knows what happened to the old SW, new SW and JW? I've lost it.

[Guest ohayyo]

@mikeymeeks : I watched this drama one and half year ago ... let's see whether I still recall this correctlywell, If i'm correct I think :old SW died beside the public phone boothnew SW lived happily ever after with his girlfriend (wife)JW (he's SW older brother right ?) was about to die in the mountain during heavy storm but new SW saved his life ..that's what i get from my little tiny brain

[Guest hapha8714]

i've just started watching this, and so far im loving it! currently at episode 3. it's definitely something new.
looks like my interest in kdrama has revived! LOL

it's been like a year since i watched one thoroughly, and lost interest all of a sudden because recent dramas have been too cliche and been disappointed on dramas i expected to be good, story-wise. i would watch like 3 EPs only for a certain drama, and then i stop.

[readlead]

I've read in many recappers blog that nine is one of the best kdrama in 2013 and have been wanted to watch it long time ago but only just few days ago finally I able to watch it.

thanks to the news of LJW's dating with my most favorite korean actress, gong hyo jin so with a very high of curious feeling about lee jin wook, I started to watch first ep at 10 pm then finish 3 days later

and I love it! I've to admit that this drama is really good, no wonder many viewers say it one of the best and maybe the best travel-time kdrama I've ever watched.

I love the acting and story, specially the editing... it's sharp and smart, and the story isnt dragging too.

if there is something that maybe I felt quite underwhelmed about is the romance part... bianne, maybe this is only my personal taste... the lead female I love her when she was being cheerful girl but not really when she was being serious/crying... or maybe I need to rewatch once again..maybe...

for sure, nine is really good drama!

@liddi anyeong onnie :-h , quite surprise to see your id on first page, and seem that you enjoyed this drama too, hope so!  >-

[liddi]

Nine was always on my to-watch list, ever since hearing high recommendations all around (thank you @nancykimlee, @cpui2004 !), but one that I never got around to, for one reason or another. Ironically enough, I first watched Nine at the worst possible time for a SoGong shipper - two days after the announcement of Lee Jin Wook dating Gong Hyo Jin - albeit with reservations that I would view the drama and him with prejudice because of what he means to the SoGong ship. As such, I was probably the most surprised when I totally forgot who he was before the first episode was over, and only saw him as Park Sun Woo. The incredible experience that Nine took me on leaves me breathless, and fills me with so much to think and say, that much as I wanted to, I could not put my thoughts down coherently here for the longest time. Despite multiple rewatches, thoughts, persuading/begging friends to jump on the Nine bandwagon (right @mywebfoot, @azzurri, @tomoyo1010 ?), discussions with the same friends, I still hesitated to post even though it has been well over a month since I finished watching it for the first time... but I will certainly try to break that impassé today, hopefully with more coherence than I feel.

When I first watched, I did not expect to get emotionally invested in Park Sun Woo. He was a character that, in a sense, held the viewers at arm's length, because he was so objective and almost matter-of-fact by which he faced his imminent death and every other problem that came his way thereafter. Nonetheless, he took me with him on this wild ride that sent me from euphoria to despair, literally at the edge of my seat, never knowing how the next moment would play out... and in the end, in spite of myself, his journey became my own... as I laughed and cried and cheered and mourned for and with him all the way through multiple timelines, right to the end. To me, LJW totally owned this role, and will always be the definitive Park Sun Woo.

The true OTPs of the drama will have to be the bromances. Every single relationship, be it SW and YH (in every timeline), SW and JW, older and younger SW, even SW and Oh Chul Min - they serve as the heart and soul of the drama, and play such pivotal roles in SW's every act and decision that SW's life (and our experience) is all the richer because of them.

YH is without question, the truest friend SW could have, regardless of which life and timeline he is in. The way younger YH supported younger SW, just as his older self did, no matter how crazy and implausible the situation... truly a testament of true friendship, unchanging through time. One of the many standout moments was when YH raced to save SW's life in both timelines. I can still remember the immense sigh of relief as I smiled through my tears along with older YH, seeing SW, alive and well on TV, announcing the arrival of the New Year at the end.

Absolutely love the partnership between older and younger SW. Younger SW's incredible perception in figuring out why older SW did not show when he promised he would, and his reminders all over the house to ensure that he would survive and beat the brain tumor shows brilliance, adaptability and perseverance. Seeing him finally shape the future, independent of older SW, buoyed by a trust in older SW's promise that he will one day understand his brother, make the right choices and meet older SW again in the mirror 20 years hence. And even to the very last, he made the choice that he would not live his life fearing what may or may not happen... but do what he believes is right - younger SW has truly come into his own, a man free from regrets and fear of what he has no control over.

JW and SW's troubled relationship is the most heartbreaking of the bromances. For SW to have done all he did for his brother, only to be disillusioned... and JW, having to carry that guilt for over 20 years, and living a life that was essentially no different between his old and new, which totally made a mockery of all that was sacrificed by SW (intentionally or not) for him. And to see younger JW finally choosing to face the music, and in doing so, redeem himself from a lifetime of regrets... to find meaning in his own life, was utterly poignant, knowing as we do, that it was ultimately accomplished at the expense of older SW's own life.

To me, the romance was always secondary, but as @mywebfoot pointed out, the drama truly presented the concept of the purity of love at its core. His love for MY was undiluted even when he was faced with her younger self or her being his niece... because he loved the woman within, regardless of the timeline and the circumstances. Ultimately he convinced me of their love, much more than she ever did, and he was the reason I mourned and ached when he saw her for the last time.

To date, I still cannot revisit Ep19 without being an emotional wreck every single time. Watching him record his final messages to YH and hearing them one by one with YH, especially the last two... is utterly painful. The 4th one always breaks my heart... when he speaks of his refusal to admit defeat, then seeing him slowly dying before our eyes, still not giving up, banging the broken handle of the phone in a hopeless attempt to get help. And despite not being invested in the romance, the scene with younger MY at the end simply gutted me. Seeing his death through her eyes was truly devastating, watching it unfold, and being unable to stop it. To me that's where LJW's acting truly shines - to be able to speak so much of his love and longing for MY with his eyes and the inflection of his voice. I never really saw why she appealed to him, but it speaks volumes that he convinced me of their love, even when I was not sold on the relationship.

One of the most-asked questions with regards to Nine, is that very last scene, when we see yet again, older JW collapsing at the Himalayas, while holding the incense stick. This time, we see older SW reaching out his hand and saving his brother from freezing to death there. My take is different from every other opinion I've read so far. In my opinion, it was a metaphorical scene, rather than a depiction of an actual happening. Knowing as we do, original SW finally changed the past in such a way that allows JW to redeem himself and find meaning to his own life; as well as give younger SW the inner strength and right mindset to move on in life, and make the right decisions at every juncture. That being said, there is no more reason for JW or SW to want or need to go back in time to fix the past. As such, younger JW grown up, would no longer be trekking the Himalayas with an incense stick, hoping to go back to the past. With that in mind, I feel that the final scene ties beautifully back to the scene in Ep1, and is a poetic depiction of how SW metaphorically saved JW, even if it took him 20 years, and multiple timelines to do so. Anyway... just my 2 cents.

Nine is definitely one of the most stellar dramas I've ever had the privilege of watching. Absolutely brilliant in terms of script, directing, pacing, casting, all-round performances (with the exception of Director Choi's over-exaggerated portrayal)... the marriage of which results in an intelligent, unforgettable journey of hope, sacrifice, loss and ultimately redemption, one that sent my brain and heart into overdrive... spending as much time wiping my tears as I did watching and analysing it. So to answer your question, @readlead, yes, I love this drama, and I know I won't be moving on from it any time in the near future.